6: Do you know the way to San José?

Neither do I.  But I bet air-traffic control does.  So ever since The D got brain injured, I've had an addiction to eating and reading about Costa Rica.  The former, I'm guessing was a lot of hate eating.  The latter, perhaps I just needed something to look forward to.  I've always been pretty independent.  For example, I hiked more than half the Appalachian Trail.  Or in high school, I often took a bus and a cab to ski resorts ten hours away from the home with so little money in my pockets that I would crash banquet halls to eat.  I once survived three days on a yard of beef jerky and bad hotel room coffee.  Certainly the wilds of Costa Rica weren't going to be much of a challenge.

So I started reading a lot of first-person accounts from expats who had made the move.  The story was always quite similar.  Pura Vida is not for everyone, but it might be right for anyone.  Most accounts started with a dire need to get out of the rat race or to have major surgery (for a major discount) or because the couple didn't save enough to retire.  One just went down there to surf the rest of their lives.  Yet others were escaping the future demise of America.  Regardless of the reasons, they all offered the same similar sage advice.

• Don't just pack up and head down without first renting in different places for at least six months to a year if not longer.
• It's one thing to take a vacation and have a local running another cold Imperial to your palapa every twenty minutes.  It's another thing to live and work and have to make your bed, your own meals and to clean your own house every day.
  
  
• Decide if you want to live among expats, among ticos, or even completely off the grid.
• They all have their pros and cons.
• Do you know how to speak real Spanish?  Not just tourist Spanish (like me).
• Are you willing to learn it?
•  Can you deal with the slower pace, the Costa Rican work ethic, and the lack of care about YOUR time?
• Slowness is the cultural norm.  Many American's would frown upon being stuck for twenty minutes waiting for a cattle truck to load up steer for the butcher.  In Costa Rica, this is twenty minutes to admire the surrounding beauty or to grab a pipa fria (natural coconut water.  Just pronounce it carefully or you mind up with an order of french fries.
•  Are you familiar with the immigration laws?
• Were you aware that except in limited situations, an expat can't work in Costa Rica.
• Were you aware that Starbucks' only coffee farm in the world is in Costa Rica?
• Though, why would you drink Starbucks with so many great brews available?  Even Mexico rejected Taco Bell, twice (this wasn't part of the sage advice).

Just to make sure this alleged paradise on earth actually existed and to sort of sense check these expats who were most likely biased.  I checked the internet for the number of Costa Rican emigres.   Surprisingly, the numbers are incredibly low.  They are lowest among Central America and one of the lowest throughout all of Latin America.  Maybe they weren't lying after all...